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20 book to screen adaptations on my “To Be Watched” list

Readers, every time I check the latest publishing news—or open my Netflix queue—I learn of a new literary screen adaptation. Turning books into scripts is a big business, one that’s steadily growing. Right now, there are 125 book to television projects in the works (and counting)!

With a few exceptions, I usually prefer what I experienced on the page over Hollywood’s blockbuster interpretation.

And yet, despite my bookish bias, I am curious to see how talented writers, producers, and actors bring new—and classic—literary works to the screen.

Today, I’m sharing my most anticipated book to screen adaptations—some movies, mostly TV. A few projects are ready and waiting to be released to your local movie theater (or living room), but many of the books on this list are in the very early stages of script development.

Forthcoming screen adaptations often serve as motivation for readers to pick up a book they’ve otherwise overlooked. I hope you find an intriguing title on today’s list—or an adaptation of a longtime favorite to anticipate.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on book to screen adaptations in the comments: which shows and movies are you looking forward to? Do you have any casting choices in mind for these titles?

20 highly anticipated book to screen adaptations

Pachinko

Pachinko

Author:
They've started filming the Apple TV+ adaptation of Min Jin Lee's sweeping family saga, and I can't wait to add it to my queue. This unputdownable novel traces four generations of a 20th-century Korean family back to the time when Japan annexed the country in 1910, affecting the fates of all. Lee portrays the family's struggles against the backdrop of cultural and political unrest, as they endure fierce discrimination at the hands of the Japanese. Operatic and sprawling, every decision has a reverberating consequence in this intricate portrait of a little-explored period of history. More info →
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The Last Thing He Told Me

The Last Thing He Told Me

Author:
Reese Witherspoon's production company scooped up the rights to this domestic thriller (perhaps she'll star in it, as well?). A devoted husband disappears without a trace in this Summer Reading Guide selection. Hannah and Owen have been happily married for a year. She finds meaning in her job crafting bespoke furniture for high-end clients; he works at a tech start-up that builds privacy software. The only real sore spot between them is her fragile relationship with his sixteen-year-old daughter Bailey. Then one afternoon, Hannah receives a hastily scrawled note from her husband with just two words on it: “protect her.” Why must she protect Bailey—and from whom? She can’t ask Owen; he’s gone—and Hannah is determined to find out why. More info →
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Daisy Jones & The Six

Daisy Jones & The Six

I can't wait to hear the original music for the TV adaptation of this 2018 Summer Reading Guide favorite! The whole time I was reading the book, I tried to "hear" what the Six sounded like. The plot revolves around Billy Dunne, the tortured, talented lead singer for the Six, and Daisy Jones, the beautiful, soulful girl with a troubled past who catapults the Six to fame when she begins singing—and writing—their songs. Daisy and Billy’s chemistry is electric, and fans can’t get enough of it. We know from the beginning that the story is about why the band broke up, and the reasons are both expected and surprising, unfurled in an enthralling story of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. More info →
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Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary

Author:
MGM quickly snatched up the film rights with Ryan Gosling to star in this VERY science-y, often funny, surprisingly poignant novel from The Martian author Andy Weir. When middle school science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up from a coma on a spaceship millions of miles from Earth, his crewmates are dead and he can’t remember his own name. He knows he was working on the Petrova problem: the sun is dying, and if he can’t figure out how to revive it, a new ice age will end life as we know it. But all is not yet lost— by relying on his own wits and a new friend, he might yet save us all. More info →
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The Vanishing Half

The Vanishing Half

Author:
Bennett's sophomore novel barely made it onto bookstore shelves before a bidding war for the film rights began; it's now set for adaptation at HBO. Identical twins Desiree and Stella grew up in a town so small it doesn't appear on maps. They're closer than close, so Desiree is shocked when Stella vanishes one night after deciding to sacrifice her past—and her relationship with her family—in order to marry a white man, who doesn't know she's Black. Desiree never expects to see her sister again. The twins grow up, make lives for themselves, and raise daughters—and it's those daughters who bring the sisters together, years later. It's a reunion Stella both longs for and fears, because she can't reveal the truth without admitting her whole life is a lie. Bennett expertly weaves themes of family, race, identity, and belonging into one juicy, page-turning novel spanning five turbulent decades. More info →
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Passing

Passing

Author:
Rebecca Hall's film-writing debut premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and now we wait for the public release. This page-turner was not at all what I expected. Written in 1929, set during the Jazz Age in Harlem, this is the story of two childhood friends who reconnect after choosing very different paths. Both women are Black and light-skinned. Clare has chosen to pass for white, and is even married to a white man who knows nothing of her heritage or history. Irene is married to a successful African-American physician. As the women spend more time together, Irene's life starts looking better and better to Clare ... and what unfolds is a battle of wits in a story akin to a psychological thriller. The story feels so fresh and unexpected, I couldn't believe it was written nearly a hundred years ago. More info →
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Persuasion

Persuasion

Author:
I'm eagerly anticipating both upcoming Persuasion adaptations (expected in 2022), one starring Sarah Snook and the other starring Dakota Johnson as Anne Elliot. This is the last novel Austen completed before her death, and it's darker and more serious in tone than her earlier works. In this second chance love story, Austen explores themes of love, regret, and fidelity. The swoon-worthy romance between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth makes this my favorite Austen novel—at least some of the time. If you're looking for an excellent audiobook option, Juliet Stevenson is one of my favorite narrators for Austen's works. More info →
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The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Author:
Jenny Han writes such delightful YA romances novels: humorous and charming, totally swoon worthy. With the success of Netflix's To All the Boys I Loved Before movie trilogy, she's no stranger to screen adaptations. Casting was just announced for the movie adaptation of her beachy book, The Summer I Turned Pretty. Isabel "Belly" Conklin lives for summers at the beach with her family—and her mother's best friend and her two sons Jeremiah and Conrad. They've always been her summer companions, extra brothers to annoy her from June through August. But this summer, everything changes as Belly experiences a love triangle plot reminiscent of Sabrina. More info →
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Hamnet

Hamnet

Keep your Kleenex nearby whenever this devastating story comes to screen. In her award-winning novel, Maggie O’Farrell takes a few historically known facts about Shakespeare’s wife and family and, from this spare skeleton, builds out a lush, vivid world. The story centers on Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife, who is torn apart by grief when their son Hamnet dies at age 11. Soon after, Shakespeare writes Hamlet—and O’Farrell convincingly posits that the two events are closely tied. In her distinctive style, O’Farrell takes you to the heart of what really matters in life, making you feel such a deep sense of loss for Hamnet that you won’t look at your own life the same way. More info →
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Station Eleven

Station Eleven

This ten-episode HBO Max mini series was (ironically) pushed back due to the pandemic; I hope it's worth the wait. In her haunting, wistful novel, Mandel imagines the end of the world as we know it, and it's nothing like you're expecting. Hours after a famous actor suddenly dies onstage during a performance of King Lear, a global pandemic known as the Georgian Flu sweeps the world. In her signature style, Mandel weaves together the stories of five characters, featuring a traveling Shakespeare troupe whose members earnestly endeavor to maintain art and hope. ("Because survival is insufficient.") Readers' appetites for pandemic-related stories may vary, but rest assured this book is anything but depressing; I found it striking, sympathetic, and hopeful. More info →
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The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

Author:
I'm so curious to see how HBO Max brings Philyaw's short story collection to the screen. Some stories in this collection are quick five page reads, and others are closer to 40 pages—all of them make you feel like you're right there in the main character's life. These stories are about love, sex, relationships, work, mistakes and successes. Each story explores the unique predicament of one character, but they flow seamlessly from one woman's life to another, thanks to Philyaw's evocative prose and rich detail. I read my favorite story “How to Make Love to a Physicist” twice through because I loved it so much. More info →
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The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

Author:
Kunal Nayyar, Christina Hendricks, and Lucy Hale are set to star in the story of an endearingly cranky bookseller and how his life changes when an unexpected package shows up at his bookshop. For devoted readers, this book is a wonderful reminder of the power of books, and how they can bring people together. But be warned: this book can explode your to-be-read list. At the beginning of each chapter, the narrator recommends a book—or sometimes, a short story—to his daughter, describing what it’s about and why she’ll enjoy it. (He’s a bookseller: he can’t help himself.) More info →
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The Rose Code

The Rose Code

Author:
Thanks to the team behind The Imitation Game, Quinn's latest novel is headed for TV. The novel follows three women in WWII Britain, where England's pressing needs unite them in a common cause: breaking codes at Bletchley Park. Well-to-do Osla is a society girl, often accused of having more beauty than brains. Determined Mab grew up poor in London's east end, and seeks a better life for herself and her young sister. And miserable Beth, doormat daughter to the overbearing mother who billets Bletchley Park girls to help the war effort. This book grabbed me from the opening pages, but I'll admit I began turning them faster when we veered into spy thriller territory. Solidly entertaining—I especially enjoyed the story on audio, as narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. More info →
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Still Life (Chief Inspector Gamache Mysteries, No. 1)

Still Life (Chief Inspector Gamache Mysteries, No. 1)

Author:
With 17 titles and counting, this beloved series holds plenty of plot for its anticipated Amazon series—but it's the characters and community that keep readers coming back. Readers, take note: these mysteries are meant to be read in order. The first installment, Still Life, introduces Chief Inspector Armand Gamache as he investigates a murder in the small town of Three Pines, Quebec. Three Pines is the kind of place where people don’t even lock their doors. Serene small town life is disrupted when a beloved local woman is found in the woods with an arrow shot through her heart. The locals believe it must be a hunting accident, but the police inspector senses something is off. The story is constructed as a classic whodunit but it feels like anything but, with its deliberate pacing, dry wit, and lyrical writing. More info →
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Crying in H Mart: A Memoir

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir

Author:
I don't know if I'm more excited for the movie or the soundtrack for Crying in H Mart's big screen adaptation. “Ever since my mother died, I cry in H Mart.” So begins indie rockstar Michelle Zauner’s poignant story. After her mother received a grim cancer diagnosis, Zauner realized her mother’s death would also mean losing her only tie to her Korean heritage, so she sought to shore up stories while she still has time. Whether she writes about the intricacies of preparing traditional Korean dishes or a hurtful misunderstanding, she explores moments from her tumultuous mother-daughter relationship with tenderness and love, often returning to the idea that our experiences of home, family and culture are viscerally rooted in what we taste, see and hear. An honest, lyrical, and life-affirming memoir about grief, growing up, and making amends. More info →
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Kindred

Kindred

Author:
I waited far too long to read Kindred by Octavia Butler, and I was riveted from the first page. FX ordered a pilot based on this modern science fiction classic, one of many Butler screen adaptations in the works. When Dana, a modern Black woman from 1976, gets transported to the antebellum south in order to save one of her white ancestors, she preserves her own history. But it doesn't end there. As she keeps getting pulled back to the past, her trips grow more and more dangerous, and Dana must figure out how to survive in a reality far more terrifying than the history books ever suggested. More info →
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The Other Black Girl

The Other Black Girl

I wonder if they'll change the ending for this Hulu adaptation to keep it fresh for readers whose jaws already dropped to the floor. Full of twists, turns, and biting social commentary, this highly original (and highly discussable) debut novel left me gobsmacked. Editorial assistant Nella Rogers is thrilled when Wagner Books hires another Black woman. Finally, she won’t be the sole Black voice at the publisher, she won’t endure microaggressions alone, and maybe she’ll even make some progress on her stalled-out racial diversity efforts. But new hire Hazel doesn’t turn out to be the ally and friend she expected. Meanwhile, threatening notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk, saying LEAVE WAGNER NOW. The atmosphere grows ever creepier as Nella tries to befriend Hazel, while surreptitiously investigating her past. More info →
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Girl Waits with Gun

Girl Waits with Gun

Author:
Amazon is developing this wonderful biographical novel for an hourlong drama series, and the main character is sure to be a delight on screen. Clever, daring, and ahead-of-her-time, Constance has no interest in being traditional. Family secrets have kept the Kopp sisters—Constance, Norma and Fleurette—isolated from the world until an unfortunate buggy accident brings trouble to their doorstep. When a gang-member threatens her sisters and the family farm, Constance teams up with local law enforcement to take down the criminals. I love the way Stewart brings her leading lady to life in this mostly-true story about America's first female sheriff. More info →
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Firekeeper’s Daughter

Firekeeper’s Daughter

This powerfully layered YA debut adroitly balances a thrilling crime plot, a fake relationship, and a thoughtful exploration of identity and belonging—and it's headed for Netflix. 18-year-old hockey star Daunis dreams of leaving her small community on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and making a fresh start in college. But after she witnesses a terrible crime, Daunis is persuaded to go undercover to nail the dealers whose deadly new drugs are ravaging her Anishinaabe community. While seeking justice for her best friend, Daunis also grapples with burgeoning feelings for her handsome hockey player crush and navigates often-tense relationships within her own family. (While sensitively handled, triggers abound, including murder, suicide, sexual assault, and racism.) More info →
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Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

Author:
There's no shortage of Pride and Prejudice screen adaptations, but I'll always watch another one. Netflix announced their take on the famous classic: a teen romantic comedy titled The Netherfield Girls. If Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You are anything to go by, this is sure to be a delight, and perhaps a modern classic for decades to come. As far as the source text: Jane Austen herself called it her "own darling child." Pick it up for the first time (or the tenth) and see why devoted readers keep coming back to this one again ... and again and again. More info →
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Do you have any book to screen adaptations on your “To Be Watched” list? Let us know in the comments!

P.S. Yes, I said it: these 8 movies are better than their books. For a twist on this theme, check out these 17 sparkling and suspenseful novels set on the screen or the stage.

P.P.S For up-to-date book adaptation news, I rely on Publisher’s Weekly announcements and our team of avid readers. Our spreadsheet expert Donna Hetchler keeps us in the know on her blog. Check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of her literary adaptation roundups to put even more titles on your “To Be Watched” list.

20 book to screen adaptations on my "To Be Watched" list

97 comments

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  1. Allie says:

    I’m so excited for Daisy Jones! Is there any ETA? As for The Last Thing He Told Me, I read that Julia Roberts is slated to star. Can’t wait!

  2. Patricia says:

    HAMNET! What a role for a lucky actress. And The Secret Lives of Church Ladies – yes, please. Love this post.

  3. Efstathia Kositzidou says:

    I am really excited for these adaptations.However I have a personal favorite that has been never adapted on screen.Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte!Anyone listening?

  4. Brigid says:

    So many exciting adaptations on the horizon! I didn’t know The Other Black Girl was being made by Hulu. That was already high on my TBR after the Summer Reading Guide and now I must read it before the show comes out!
    Love this list and Donna’s too!

  5. Melissa says:

    I am loving The Pursuit of Love with Lily James on Amazon Prime. It’s a three-part miniseries, and I’m savoring it—I’ll watch the last one tonight. I’m planning on reading the book (Nancy Mitford) as soon as I can get a copy.

  6. Maryann says:

    Hello! I’m looking for a good book involving art. My book club will be going to see the VanGogh interactive exhibit in September and we are hoping to read an “art-centric” book for that month’s discussion. Any suggestions?

    • Stacey says:

      Hi! I saw your question and just have to throw a recommendation out! I just finished The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis yesterday, and it was so good! It jumps back and forth between the 1920s and 1970s and revolves around the art school at Grand Central Terminal in New York. There is a lot of discussion about the new art styles that were becoming popular in the 20s vs the art of illustration vs classical art. And it is fiction based on real history. I highly recommend it!

      • Tracy K says:

        I second this recommendation! I really enjoyed learning about the school. I had no idea it existed until I read the book.

    • Christine Ann Goldbar says:

      Are you going to the exhibit in San Francisco? My family and I went in June, and we really enjoyed it.

    • Kate Dillingham says:

      I really liked “Van Gogh’s Ear” by Bernadette Murphy, which is a non-fiction look into whether or not Van Gogh really cut off his ear. It read like. a novel

    • Abigail M. says:

      The Art Forger by Barbara Shapiro. A young artist supporting herself by painting copies of masterpieces and selling them legitimately as reproductions is one day asked to copy what may or may not be a stolen painting from the most famous art heist in history. Drama ensues.

      Very enjoyable, lots of background about painting/forging and the gallery and museum worlds.

  7. Ashley says:

    It may not be everyone’s style but The Gray Man by Mark Greany (this author continued Tom Clancy’s series) about a trained CIA assassin who is burned and now on the “kill on site order”. He’s trying to find out why while doing his “job” as an independent contractor assassin. It just wrapped filming for Netflix starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. I love romantic, thoughtful and even sci-fi, but sometimes dramatic action books are fun too! Can’t wait to watch the TV adaption.

  8. Jennifer Geisler says:

    My personal rule: if I loved a book, I never, never, never watch the movie. If I break my rule, it only strengthens my resolve not to let it happen again. the casting is never quite right, and I don’t appreciate the inevitable plot changes.That said, I have had experiences where I found the book only so-so and enjoyed the movie.

    • Terry says:

      I wish I’d followed this advice for News of the World. I adore the book, the movie has only a passing resemblance to Paulette Jiles’ beautiful story. For the first time ever, I was disappointed with Tom Hanks.

      • Gwen Diane says:

        I just watched News of the World yesterday, and thought they did a pretty good job of sticking to the book. There were a couple of scenes that were exactly from the book, a few scenes that I don’t remember at all (??!!!), and the ending was tweaked a bit for sure. But I thought they retained the mood, story and flavor of the book.

    • RhondaC says:

      Agreed. The Girl on the Train movie was completely different from the book. I couldn’t make it through the move.

  9. Denise Tyler says:

    Where the Crawdads Sing. I read production just wrapped on it so I’m definitely hoping for a 2022 release. I loved this book.

  10. Carolyn says:

    I’m looking forward to seeing The Other Black Girl, and I hope they don’t change the ending. I just finished The Plot, and I’d love to see that as a limited series. These two titles have been my favorites from the Summer Reading Guide so far.

  11. Angel Herring says:

    Hoping One Day in December gets adapted, as well as The Giver of Stars. There have been rumors for quite some time that Emily Giffin was in the works with Netflix for an adaptation- secretive on the title, though. I NEED Love the One You’re With and The One and Only to hit the big screen and confess to randomly googling that possibility….

  12. LyndaMarie says:

    Are they making a new Still Life? I watched a version of it on Amazon Prime made in 2013, and I kept thinking, “No, no that’s not what the Inspector looks like!” , along with most of the cast.

    • Mary Lou Wachsmith says:

      Yes, I have watched Still Life on Prime – I enjoyed it, but felt it wasn’t up to the level of the book. I would guess that the bar is really high for books to film for Louise Penny books.

  13. Emily A says:

    I juuuust finished Project Hail Mary and absolutely loved it. Weir’s humor transcends some of the more outlandish plot points. It needs a follow on cliff notes with some of the science basics, but I’m so excited for the movie. Also, that is my favorite book cover of Persuasion!

  14. Torrie says:

    I enjoyed the Netflix adaptation of Good Morning, Midnight (The Midnight Sky with George Clooney in the lead). Now, I am looking forward to the film adaptation of Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy, which has Benedict Cumberbatch (directing, I think?) and Claire Foy in the lead role. I loved the book, and I’ll watch the movie even though I know it will probably not live up to my reading experience (unless the reviews are horrendous).

  15. CarolK says:

    Fingers crossed that Amazon’s adaptation of Louise Penny’s Still Life is better than the movie of 2013.
    Keeping them crossed for Amy Stewart’s Girl Waits With Gun.
    Just finished watching William Landay’s Defending Jacob and honestly can say I loved the book and liked the TV series. The movie generated a great deal of discussion between my husband and I. He had not read the book. I’m hoping that they well enough alone and do not do a Season 2 of this series.

  16. Audrey says:

    Firekeeper’s Daughter was an amazing book. I just hope that they use First Nations actors, directors, producers, etc. to tell this story. It’s so important!

  17. Adrienne says:

    Thanks for sharing this list! I’m really looking forward to Daisy Jones and the Six, Girl Waits With Gun, and the Three Pines series, although I am a bit nervous about the latter based on the comments about the lackluster 2013 adaptation.

  18. Rachel Stafeil says:

    I have read quite a few of these books – I am most looking forward to Station Eleven, the Rose Code, and the Vanishing Half! Station Eleven was a brilliant book – I read it early in the pandemic, which was odd timing, but I loved it.

  19. Mary Lou Wachsmith says:

    I recommend the seven season Amazon Prime adaption of the Harry Bosch books – author Michael Connelly was heavily involved in this series as executive producer, which is why, in my opinion, the series was of such great quality. Starring Titus Welliver as Harry, the casting was phenomenal. The writing was superb. I loved all the atmospheric shots of LA, and after recently moving from there to my new midwest city, I felt so homesick. I could smell the ocean in the Venice beach and Santa Monica scenes. I am a big fan of Michael Connelly, and highly recommend the Bosch series.

    • Jan says:

      I just finished watching the last season of “Bosch” and agree with everything you said. It’s a really outstanding series. I also lived in L.A. and just moved back to the Midwest and I loved its realistic depiction of Los Angeles. The architecture alone is worth seeing!

  20. Stephanie says:

    I will continue hoping for a Flavia de Luce tv series since I don’t think Alan Bradley is publishing any more books. I think Girl with Gun will be good on screen but not a huge letdown as a reader 🙂

  21. Cliff Cullen says:

    I’m so excited about the Kindred adaptation. Octavia E. Butler is experiencing something of a renaissance at the moment. Adaptations of several of her books are in process including an Ava Duverney directed show on Amazon of Dawn the first book in the Lillith’s Brood series, another show on Amazon of Wild Seed the first book in the Patternist series co-written by Nnedi Okorafor, and it was just recently reported that HBO has ordered an adaptation of Fledgling with Issa Rae and J.J. Abrams producing, and A24 just acquired the rights to Parable of the Sower with Garrett Bradley attached to direct. I’m hoping at least some of these will see the light of day and will be good adaptations.

  22. Ann says:

    I read that Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale will be made into a movie in 2022. The Fanning sisters will play the lead roles.

  23. Elisabeth C. says:

    I’ve been waiting for a film adaptation of Devil in the White City for so long! At one point I heard it was in the works…

    • Kristen says:

      That is my favorite book, so I will have to watch through my fingers in the event they destroy it! It has so many elements to make it a major blockbuster though, so many great storylines inside the one book.

  24. Julie Rogers says:

    I can’t wait to see the screen version of “Falling,” former flight attendant TJ Newman’s first novel. The book had me on the edge of my seat from cover to cover.

    • CarolK says:

      Didn’t see this comment until after I posted my comments about this thriller. Guess we’re on the same page on this one Julie.

  25. Amy Fitzgibbons says:

    Does anyone know when and how to watch Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty? I thought that was a film adaptation coming out. Also, I’m enjoying the Mysterious Benedict Society on Disney plus with my kids.

    • Marcia says:

      I read that it will be a series that will premiere on Amazon on August 20 and conclude on October 1. According to that online source, it is already out on Hulu but I don’t have Hulu so I’m not sure that is accurate. Anyone else know? Am really looking forward to that one!

  26. CarolK says:

    There are some books that you can immediately see on the big screen. Take the exciting debut, Falling by T.J. Newman. It has movie written all over it. A very well done, edge of you seat thriller.

    Or Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby – I think this one has been optioned already.
    Great list. Thank you.

  27. Adrienne says:

    I thought of a couple more I’d love to see…. Number One Ladies Detective Agency. There was a series which starred Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe (by HBO, I think) but I think it was just one season with only 6-ish episodes. I love these books and the characters, and it’s sad that they haven’t been adapted further. The other book series I’d love to see made into a TVA series is Jan Karon’s Mitford books. I avoided the Hallmark movie simply based on the casting, which didn’t seem to fit the characters in the books at all.

    • CarolK says:

      #1 Ladies Detective Agency with Jill Scott -HBO & Warner Home Video
      One of the absolute best series I’ve ever seen. Could never understand why it didn’t continue. Check your public library for a copy. It is fantastic.
      Very well done.

  28. Tori Thompson says:

    I would love to see Lionboy adapted to the big screen! I heard it would be made into a movie years ago, but haven’t yet seen any headway.

  29. Lynette says:

    Holy moly! This IS quite a list!! I think the key, for me, to liking screen adaptations (generally) is giving enough distance between reading the book and watching the TV show/movie. If I watch right after reading, I’m never as satisfied with the adaptation. So….I’d better start reading some of these books NOW so that I can watch their screen versions in a few months!

  30. Tina says:

    I live in Germany, and on amazon prime, I was already able to watch an Inspector Gamache adaptation on TV, not sure if it is the one you are waiting for ,tough.
    I thought it was okay, but if it is, the book is for sure better than the adaptation.

  31. Betsy says:

    I’m soooo looking forward to “Station Eleven”! Hoping it does well, as I would love to see her other great books adapted for the big or small screen. Others I’m excited about: “Magpie Murders”, “Time Traveler’s Wife”, “Pieces of Her”, and “Under the Banner of Heaven”. All were wonderful in print.
    Still think one of the best movie adaptations of a thriller was Gone Girl. Great book, great movie!

  32. Beth Roireau says:

    I’m so excited for all of these adaptations. I suppose the Book-to-Screen frenzy is why Blackstone Group is paying Reese $900 Million for Hello Sunshine, including the Book Club.

  33. Judy Fowler says:

    Does anyone read Robyn Carr? Netflix has streaming several seasons based on Virgin River. I haven’t seen them but my daughter’s friends are loving the series.

  34. Bob says:

    The Tender Bar, J.R.Moehringer’s memoir, is being made into a movie starring Ben Affleck and directed by George Clooney. Not sure about release date. A great read and I’ll be curious to see how it does on the big screen.

  35. Kelli Roberts says:

    I got to see Passing at its Sundance premiere and I thought it was FANTASTIC. I can’t wait for the public release so I can see it again!

  36. Elizabeth says:

    I’m surprised I never see remarks about how “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” is a modern retelling of George Eliot’s “Silas Marner.” Anybody else seen the similarity?

  37. Ann says:

    I thoroughly enjoyed Crying in H Mart. Very well written; it resonates with me. I lost my Mom to cancer when I was 28. Interested to see the movie. I loved Andy Weir’s book The Martian. The film version was equally good with Matt Damon cast as “the Martian”. I’m on the waiting list for Project Hail Mary at the library. So looking forward to reading it.

  38. Anjanette says:

    Persuasion is one of my favorite books, so I hope they don’t do to much damage. There’s already adaptations that are pretty good.

  39. Lynsey says:

    So excited to see AJ Fikry on the list!!

    Also thrilled to find out “The Guncle” was just adopted for a movie adaptation. Best book I read this summer!! You can’t get past chapter 1 without thinking “this should be a movie!”

  40. Stephanie Towne says:

    Holy cow, so many to be excited about!!!!
    Still Life-wow! Part of me is excited for this and part of me is scared they will ruin all of my Three Pines “friends”!?!
    Firekeeper’s Daughter-yes, can’t wait!
    The Rose Code-one of my favorite books this year! I had no idea this was happening-yay!!!

  41. Claudia T says:

    Ohh! I absolutely loved the book Hamnet! Such rich writing—“sublime” I think the jacket cover said! I’ll be looking forward to the screen adaptation!

  42. Pat McGrath says:

    Looking forward to “Station Eleven”, loved that book. I recently read “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman. He says that Steven Spielberg bought the rights to film it. Hopefully they will stick to the plot and hire proper actors for the roles.

  43. Suzanne C says:

    You can always find out where/when something is on (in the US) by looking it up on JustWatch.com. If it’s available, or will be available soon, it will tell you which platform(s) and whether it’s streaming or for rent.

    I’m hopeful about a movie version of ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ and I heard there’s going to be something with ‘One of Us Is Lying’, which is awesome. Also, when are we going to see Elizabeth Acevedo’s work on film?!?! I was excited about ‘The Devil in the White City’, until I found out that Leonardo DiCaprio is supposed to star in it. I used to love his acting, but now it’s overshadowed by his ego and disturbing obsession with nearly-underage girls.

    • Marie says:

      Suzanne, thanks for the link to JustWatch.com! I always have trouble finding out where a movie/series is available. I thought there should be a place that would keep track of it all, but hadn’t found it yet.

  44. Jennifer says:

    I cannot WAIT for Passing, it feels like forever since they first announced the film. Our Kind of People should be interesting, I have made a list of books to read before they come to screen. Thanks!

  45. Dayna says:

    My teen daughter is thrilled her favorite series, Keeper of the Lost Cities, is being turned into a movie (with Ben Affleck set to direct), but I’m worried she’ll be disappointed at the changes that generally come with adaptations. Fingers crossed this one will satisfy devoted fans!

    • Elizabeth says:

      I agree Deirdre. Killers of the Flower Moon is going to be a blockbuster movie. Releasing in 2023, I am keeping my eye on it.

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